Canton-Galva looks to cut budget

USD 419 Board of Education members heard a budget report from Superintendent Bill Seidl at the regular December meeting. Seidl compared the estimated general fund budget that was drafted and approved in May with the new information.

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McPhersonSentinel - McPherson, KS

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Posted Jan. 3, 2013 at 10:16 AM
Updated Jan 3, 2013 at 10:19 AM

Posted Jan. 3, 2013 at 10:16 AM
Updated Jan 3, 2013 at 10:19 AM

Canton

USD 419 Board of Education members heard a budget report from Superintendent Bill Seidl at the regular December meeting. Seidl compared the estimated general fund budget that was drafted and approved in May with the new information.

Since enrollment figures have been audited, the district now needs to adjust the working budget. The estimated budget was filed based on an estimated Full Time Equivalent enrollment of 382.5 pupils. The audited FTE figure is 374. With other weighting estimations, the operating budget is $3,032,788.

The USD Form 150 was filed with an estimated operating budget of $3,146,009. The result is a shortfall of $113,221. The local option general fund budget, which is calculated on a district’s operating budget, has also declined. The district had budgeted $1,066,371; the actual LOB now stands at $1,027,139. The result is a decrease of $39,232.

The challenge to the district is to find ways to cut $152,453 from the estimated budget. The superintendent told board members that he and Terri Hett, the district clerk, will create the plan to make the necessary adjustments. Seidl told the board it is important to keep improving instruction and meeting teacher needs for professional development. The district will use a proactive approach and will pay more attention to the day-to-day expenses.

In other business

• In other business, board members listened to a report from three senior students — Lacy Kopf, Rachel Weyand and Chandra Reissig — about the proposed senior trip. The BOE approved the request for the use of two suburbans and a school car for a trip to San Antonio. The trip will take place during spring break.

• The board accepted two donations: $279.80 from the Booster Club for girls’ basketball warm-up shirts and $26.25 from Hospira.

• Seidl shared a proposed calendar with the board members, with starting and ending dates comparable to the current calendar. With holidays, the proposed calendar has just 179 contract days. The superintendent advised he has sent copies of the proposed calendar to teachers, asking them for input about where to add two additional student contact days. The final calendar is subject to agreement with the teachers.

• A construction report on the building project advised the BOE that work from the architects and engineers is on schedule. Bid-letting is set for mid-January, with groundbreaking projected for March.

• During the principals’ reports, Brent Kaempfe, C-GHS principal, described the Secret Santa project at the high school, student activities and the finals schedule.
Jim Struber, C-GMS principal, told members that the middle school received a certificate of recognition in the state’s Challenge Award program for fifth grade reading. The top 60 schools in the state received this award.

He also reported the middle school students donated $108 to the Secret Santa fund.
Seidl, C-GES principal, announced an upcoming music program and described the progress his staff was making on the CLI curriculum implementation.

Page 2 of 2 - • In his superintendent’s report, Seidl reviewed information about the teacher and administrator evaluation process. Kansas schools will be required to adopt a state-approved process by March 1. The Kansas State Department of Education has approved two evaluation documents for adoption or a district may seek approval for its own document.

• Four board members who attended the Kansas Association of School Boards convention shared information with the group.

• In personnel action, the board approved Roxie Ayres as an emergency substitute teacher for the current year. Members accepted the resignation and approved the early retirement of Craig Spencer, effective at the end of the school year. Lyle Silsby was approved as the assistant baseball coach for the 2013 season.

• The board met in executive session to discuss the superintendent’s evaluation. No action was taken.